Energy and Environment News Roundup – 7.8.14
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
UN proposes building blocks of new climate deal (via Bloomberg)
U.S. and China set for latest climate change discussions (via RTCC)
France and India pledge cooperation at UN climate talks (via RTCC)
Lessons from a drowning nation (via Washington Post)
Climate change up close (via Ensia)
BBC cuts airtime for climate skeptics (via The Hill)
COAL
Indian power plants running out of coal, imports to surge (via Reuters)
RENEWABLES
Renewable energy’s share of China power generation to reach 20% by 2020 (via CleanTechnica)
Clean energy investment rebounds to highest level since 2012 (via BusinessGreen)
Renewable energy share in UK electricity generation inches closer to 20% (via CleanTechnica)
Deutsche Bank lends $1 billion in Japan’s solar gold rush (via Bloomberg Businessweek)
India exploring desert-based renewable energy strategy (via BusinessGreen)
UK Crown Estate approves marine power sites, test zones (via Bloomberg)
Offshore wind energy traversing regulatory, financial currents (via Forbes)
Growing green bond market raises $20 billion in six months (via RTCC)
Four residential solar trends to watch in second half 2014 (via Greentech Media)
CitiBank official: ITC drop “beyond huge” (via Recharge)
Here’s a way to get utilities to embrace solar and batteries: Let them own the inverter (via Greentech Media)
Florida utilities working to crush nascent solar industry (via CleanTechnica)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
EU’s united front on Russia falling amid gas needs (via Houston Chronicle/AP)
Ukraine-Europe gas link to run at full capacity this winter (via Bloomberg)
Saudi Aramco pulls the rug out from under U.S. natural gas industry (via CleanTechnica)
How are energy boom states dealing with fracking-related health complaints? (via StateImpact Pennsylvania)
Fracking fears grow as Oklahoma hit by more earthquakes than California (via Bloomberg)
ENVIRONMENT
Canadians are eating tar sands pollution (via Grist)
Lake Mead, largest U.S. reservoir, to reach record low this week (via Climate Progress)
NRDC petitions EPA to cancel neonicotinoid pesticides (via NRDC Switchboard)
A California oil field yields another prized commodity – water (via New York Times)
TRANSPORTATION
More Chargepoint chargers than McDonalds now in U.S. (via CleanTechnica)
Why cars remain so appealing even in cities with decent public transit (via Washington Post)
A designer fuel for the environmentally-conscious supercar enthusiast (via Breaking Energy)
EMISSIONS
Emissions reduction efforts gather steam (via Navigant Research)
EPA refutes charge NRDC played key role in emissions rule (via The Hill)
GRID
Big microgrid savings from replacing diesel with energy storage (via Navigant Research)
Researchers developing supercomputer to tackle grid challenges (via Renewable Energy World)
Maine utilities to strengthen grid, provide renewables access (via Recharge)
POLITICS
Outside groups spent lavishly on top DOE officials’ global travels (via Greenwire)
Behind Harry Reid’s war against the Koch Brothers (via Politico)
OPINION
Primer on Beijing’s slice-and-dice approach to energy and climate reform (via Center for American Progress)
Picking the lesser of two climate evils (via New York Times)
Ignore the climate change deniers (via Politico)
Should Wall Street care about global warming? (via National Journal)
Climate pricing and strange bedfellows (via Energy Collective)
Could California’s climate revolution change the national conversation? (via Huffington Post)
Jerry Brown on clean energy: The hard part is yet to come (via San Francisco Chronicle)